Chapter 7

“Jason?”

Neither of the teens staring off in the distance with a sense of wonder heard the man calling until he was next to them, blocking their view of the grey sky. Gabrielle glanced up to find someone she had never met. She guessed he was in his early forties but he definitely looked good for his age. His black hair parted to the side where his cauliflower ear poked out.

“You wrestled in college didn’t you,” she asked with a smirk. Gabrielle couldn’t care less what this man thought but Jason elbowed her. After an exchange of dirty looks, her cousin looked up at the guy grimly.

“What’s up,” Jason asked. He tried looking as emotionless as possible but Gabrielle could see it in his eyes; Jason was scared. Their joint had been long disposed of so she didn’t know why he was so anxious. The man towering above them crossed his arms.

“Get in the house now,” he said with a tone not to be messed with. Jason nodded and did as told, his decorative chains clinking after him. The man waited until he heard Jason open and shut the door before turning back to Gabrielle. “And who the hell are you? Another lowlife girlfriend?”

“No! Hell no!” Gabrielle shuddered, making a face and gagging at the mention of it. “We’re cousins you dingbat! Who the hell are you?”

Though he nodded, his expression didn’t soften. “I’m his father.”

“Ah. You’re the meanie-pants Jason’s been talking about. Mr. Major-Ass, is it?”

Gabrielle stood and began to wipe off the bottom of her jeans. Her high was beginning to wear off meaning they’d probably been outside for much too long. The girl sighed and began to walk back but was stopped by his arm slamming her into the side of the house.

“It is Mr. Majors to you,” he snarled. Gabrielle gasped and pulled on his arm which pinned her shoulders to the brick wall. Mr. Majors let go but kept his eyes narrowed. “Or Uncle Andrew, I don’t care which. Just remember I’m the one having to keep your secret pot rendezvous.”

Andrew stalked off to the back door leaving a very startled Gabrielle behind. Her heavy breathing took a while to control as was her ability to keep calm. It wasn’t that she was fearful of being harassed by her new uncle of some sort but more that she was angry at herself for not doing anything to stop him.

This was what she was waiting for, someone to finally challenge her. And she accepted.

Her cool was collected before she too returned to the warm inside. It was a lovely change to the two hours of cool air she and Jason were sitting in. Dodging the few relatives that remained at the small get-together, Gabrielle found her mother who coincidentally was being introduced to the same man.

“Andrew and I met two years back,” Aunt Joanna was telling Mrs. Harris. “He was in the same support group as me.”

“I lost my friend,” he explained to Gabrielle’s mother. “Cancer. The doctors suggested the coping group but I didn’t think I’d be staying. This one here convinced me enough. One look and I was hypnotized.”

Aunt Jo blushed and looked to the ground while all Gabrielle could do was suppress her disgust at the cuteness radiating off of them. The girl wondered what happened to the creepy guy outside. He, even in his brutality, was cooler than that schmuck.

Gabrielle was spotted by her mother and brought to officially meet her new Uncle. They shook hands, Andrew squeezing harder than polite.

Like a warning, Gabrielle thought. She smiled deviously back. He had no idea what she was capable of and she was more than happy to try her new self-righteous behavior on him. Gabrielle stood quietly by and observed the rest of the conversation. With Jason here, they were definitely going to fall back to their old habit of pranks.

~*~

An hour later, dinner was served. Adults sat at the long table while the children kept to the living room on the folding table. It was also the table her aunt liked to play cards on so they were told not to spill. Jason and Gabrielle were to keep an eye on the kids. They both churned in annoyance together. Gabrielle knew she wasn’t a kid-person. Jason was worse.

“I want dessert,” little Amanda yelled.

Jason had to keep the six-year-old in her seat while Gabrielle reminded her that dessert would only happen when her peas were finished and the grown-ups done talking. Her four-year-old brother, Johnny, also started whining for a piece of cake. Both were getting on the nerves of Gabrielle to the point of wanting to smother them with the pillows on the settee and recliners around them. It didn’t help when the lovely Mr. Majors walked over to the table.

“Jason,” he asked casually. Jason’s shoulders stiffen as his stepfather’s hand rests on his back. “Help clear these plates with me. I have to talk to you about something.”

Gabrielle watched her cousin nod and help with the dishes. She swore in her mind. Now she had to handle the little brats on her own. The girl watched as they took off to the kitchen and then listened as they went upstairs to talk.

There’s something wrong with him, she thought. And I can’t wait to find out what.

.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oooh a new character! What do you guys think of Major-Ass? I think the cousins will have fun making his life miserable. As you can already tell, he deserves it. By the way, like the new summary? I'm trying it out for a while... Tell me what you think and how I can improve it :)